Whether it’s a leather jacket, shirt, dress, or pants, all leather is susceptible to fading. After wearing and washing a leather garment for months or even years on end, it may lose the bright luster that it once had. Of course, this isn’t a phenomenon that’s restricted only to leather. The truth is that all fabrics and materials will fade over time. So, how can you protect your leather garments from fading?
Choose High-Quality Leather
Don’t assume that all leather is made equal. Even if two garments look the same, they could be made with leather of contrasting quality. For instance, full-grain leather is considered the highest quality type of leather, as it’s made with hide that has not been sanded or buffed. The second highest quality type of leather is top grain, which is made with the split grain separated away from the hide.
Watch the Sunlight
Want to know the single largest contributing factor to the color fading of leather? It’s prolonged exposure to sunlight. When exposed to sunlight for excessive lengths of time, leather garments will begin to fade. This doesn’t happen overnight, but rather months of exposure will cause the gradual fading of its color. So if you’re looking to protect your leather garments from fading, you should store them in a dark, shaded area that’s not directly exposed to sunlight.
Condition it
If there’s one step in maintaining leather than you don’t want to skip, it’s conditioning. Using a high-quality leather conditioning product will protect your garment from common forms of damage, including color fading. The key thing to remember, however, is that you should only condition leather no more than once every couple of months. Doing it too often may do more harm than good, as the excess moisture will saturate your leather to the point where it becomes damaged.
Clean Stains in a Timely Manner
Stains, even small ones, may contribute to the fading of leather. If the liquid of substance that’s responsible for the stain contains harsh chemicals, it may eat through the upper-most layer of the leather, leaving behind a highly visible discoloration. You can prevent this from happening, however, by cleaning stains as soon as they happen. If you accidentally spill coffee on your brand new leather jacket, for instance, blot the area with a damp washcloth until it’s fully removed. Allowing stains to linger on leather will only increase the chance of discoloration.